England cricketers await Stanford decision

Some of England's cricketers will be one step nearer winning $1 million when the selectors name their squad for the clash with Stanford's All Stars.

Written by Agence-France Presse

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London:

Some of England's leading cricketers will be one step nearer winning USD one million each when the selectors name their squad later on Tuesday for the clash with Allen Stanford's All Stars.

The Texan-born billionaire has guaranteed the winners of the Twenty20 match between Kevin Pietersen's men and his Caribbean select side at his own ground in Antigua on November 1 previously undreampt of riches for coming out on top in a single cricket match.

England selection chief Geoff Miller, as well as unveiling the Stanford squad, will also announce at Lord's the party for the seven one-dayers in India later in November.

And the former England off-spinner will also reveal which players are to be put on 12 month central contracts, itself a lucrative prize which means the recipient ought to be among the first in the queue when it comes to Test and one-day selection.

England's recent 4-0 thrashing of South Africa means England shouldn't have to worry too much about their one-day team with the likes of Ravi Bopara and Ryan Sidebottom, provided the left-arm quick is fit after a back problem, likely to be added.

The Stanford match might once have been regarded as just an 'exhibition' game but with such big sums at stake and the losers getting nothing at all from the wealthy businessman, the consequences of dropping a catch which costs your side the game are greater than before.

"Drop a catch in a tight game and it will not be a nice feeling," said former England batsman Graham Thorpe at the npower Village Cup final at Lord's on Monday.

When it comes to central contracts, attention will focus on the position of former England captain Michael Vaughan.

Since resigning the captaincy and standing down from the end of the Test series with South Africa last month, Vaughan -who has made it clear he still wants to be an international cricketer and feature in next year's home Ashes series against Australia - has failed four times with the bat for Yorkshire.

Time is running out for Vaughan to impress the selectors with big scores ahead of the September 29 squad announcement for the Test series in India.

"What I would do is not give Michael Vaughan a central contract but I would take him on the tours of India and West Indies," said Thorpe. "If he was in good form you would want him playing against Australia next year. Should Vaughan get the go-ahead from the selectors, there is also the question of how he copes without the captaincy.

"We should applaud him on the England captaincy for the period he did the job," added Thorpe.

"But former England captains getting back into the side have found it different adapting to life back in the ranks.

"Michael Atherton did it fairly well, Nasser Hussain didn't do it as well, I would say. It is not always comfortable going back to being a foot soldier."